Fireproof arch.



P. H. BEVIER. PIREPROOF ARCH. APPLGATIoN FILED JUNE 11, 1908.

1,112,756. Patented 0011.111914.

Flm gy THE NORRIS PETERS CO1, PHOTOYLITHO.. WASHINGTON. DA C.

narran smarts ranma* ortica PHILIP H. BEVIER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIREPROOF ARCI-I.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, PHILIP H. BEVIER, acitizen of the United btates, residing in the city of N ew York, countyof Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulFireproof Arch, of which the fo-llowing is a specification.

This invention is an arch for use in the construction of reproofbuildings.

At the present time two methods are in use for setting' the blocks ortiles of terra cotta arches; first, in narrow spans, say up to (5 or 8feet, the arch blocks are set with all joints bedded with mortar bybrick layers using a trowel, and, second, in wide span arches, whereinmetal reinforcements are used, the Iblocks are set in dry condition byunskilled laborers, the blocks being set with ends tightly abutting, awide joint, usually about et inches, being left between the sides of theblock, into which joint is placed a plastic material, the latter being'valso put over the tops of the blocks. No allowance has heretofore beenmade in the wide span arch for the compressive strength of the blocksthemselves (although this is considerable), the entire dependence beingplaced upon the reinforced concrete con-v struction, wherein the hollowtiles or blocks serve simply as convenient forms for the purpose ofmolding the concrete ribs; said hollow tiles or blocks operating tosupport the wet slab of concrete material during its installation, andserving, also, as a flat surface for the reception ofthe plastermaterial for the ceiling. a f

Experience has shown that hollow tiles or blocks, when set in a drycondition to form an arch between two rigid surfaces, such as theparallel beams of a building, possess about one-half the crushingstrength as compared with similar blocks or tiles which are embedded inmortar. The reason for such disproportionate load carrying capacity ofdry set tiles or blocks results from the fact that the ends, or endfaces, of the blocks are irregular in outline, and when the blocks areset end to end, their end faces engage at their highest points only,instead of engaging throughout the height and width of the hollowblocks. Now, when said blocks are subjected to a certain load, theengaging high portions thereof crush or break down, with t-he resultthat the block Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1908.

borough of Brooklyn,y

splits andL Patented Oct. 6, 1914. sei-iai No. 437,807.

crushes, and is easily destroyed, beginning with such points ofdisintegration.

My invention permits narrow span arches to be set by unskilled labor,instead of by lbrick layers, and at a saving of one half the cost of thelabor of setting the blocks, and in wide span arches, while the blocksare set .1n the same manner as at present, very great strength issecured by utilizing the compressive strength of the tile.

The present invention overcomes these objections by providing a novelconstruction of mortar joint formed by and between the tiles or blocks,whereby said blocks or tiles of an arch are so united as to utilize thefull compressive strength of the tiles or blocks.

My arch consists of hollow tiles or blocks each having its top and sidewalls provided with a continuous out away portion, preferably at one endand in the form 'of a bevel, although a bevel may be provided at eachend of the tile. The edge of a beveled portion at one end of the tile,in one embodiment of the invention, is adaptedto contact with anunbeveled Hat face on an adjacent tile when a row is laid in an arch.rlhis relation of the tiles produces spaces between them, which spacesare filled with suitable plastic material for the purpose of uniting thetiles into a solid homogeneous structure.

My new construction possesses, among others, the following advantagesz-The tiles may be set, by unskilled labor, in a dry condition to forman arch; the plastic material, such as mortar, may be poured into thespaces, or otherwise deposited therein, subsequent to setting the tiles,this operation being performed easily and quickly; the strength of thearch does not depend solely upon the use of the plastic bondingmaterial, nor is it aected by the contact of the irregular end faces ofthe tiles, for the reason that the tiles are bound and united at theirmeeting end faces, along the sides and top, by an unbroken line ofplastic material, whereby the full compressive strength of the tiles isutilized; and provision is made for the employment of a metal reinforceofl any preferred construction.

Another important feature of my arch is a filler block at one or bothends of a row of tiles, said filler block being positioned between theend block and an adjoiningy metal beam. Said ller block is provided withribs or other projections on that side which faces the beain, thusspacing` the surface of the block relative to the beani, whereby plasticmaterial may be used to lill in the spaces, such plastic materialserving to bind the 5 filler bloclr to the beain, and also, as a1nediuin for ininiiniaing corrosion ot the nietal.

in are to be iinderstooffl as illustrative, only,

and not as deiining` the liinits ol the inveir tion.

Figure l is i a side view of a tile arch, the

bloclrs olI which are constructed and assein# bled yin accordance withthis invention, a row or blocks being illustrated in coperative relationto parallel beanis. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one row el co'nipleteblocks shown in cooperative relation to portions et two adjoining rowsblocks, the inetal beanis being` shown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 3-3oit Fig. l. Fig'. @l is a vertical cross section on the line sind oliFig. l. Fig. 5 is an end view of one or the tiles or blocks. Fig. 6 is aperspective view on an enlarged scale oli' one of the tiles or blocks,showing the beveled portions on the sides and the dat top ot' said tile.Fig. is a sectional view illustrating); a lille'r block positionedbetween a nietal` beain and an end block or slievio back of a row oftiles. Fig. 8 is a plan, 4o with the inetal beain in horizontal section,

showing portions of three liller blocks in cooperative relation to acorrespoiiiding nuinher of end tiles or t slewbaclrs or' an arch. Fig.il is a horizontal section through the part shown in Fig. S. Fig. l0illustrates another torni of tile embodying niy invention adapted ttoruse in connection with wide arches wherein it is desirable to use ainetal reiii'lforceinent, and Fig. ll is an end view of one olf thetiles or blocks in the construction of the arch shown invFig. l0.

'llhe example oit the invention shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of thedrawings consists in an arch composed et live blocks or tiles, A,

li, C, D, and F1, placed in a row between adjacent parallel beaius orgirders, F; but it will be understood that the nninber ot blockscoinposing;- each row inay be changed. The block, il, is the keyoblockof the arch,

and prelierably, the ends et this key-block are 'inclined on. divergiiiglines Afrom the bottoni upwardly. The end blocks, D, E, of the ,row are'technically terine'd the skewbacks;7 and, preferably, the blocks, E, C,

D, and E, are constructed in accordance is a horizontal section on theline` with this invention. Each block embodying iny invention .iscellular in construction substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and '6; thatis to say, each block consists ot' a bottoni, o, o, a top, Z), parallelside walls, c, c, and intersecting` webs, d, e, which 'forni the cellsthat extend lengthwise of the block. rlhc construction of the bloeit,however, in so liar as concerns the cellular features thereof, niay beinodilied or changed as desired, for the reason that niy invention inaybe incorporated in non-cellular blocks, that is to say, blocks which arenot provided with webs, such as, d, e, or either of thein. Generallyspeaking, the blocks, B, C, E, are provided with inclined faces atineeting end portions thereof; thus the blocks, B, C, have their endJraces inclined. on diverging lines so as to correspond to the endportions et the interposed key-block, A, whereas the slewbaclis, D, areprovided. with an in 'clined tace at one end and a vertical face at theother end, the vertical tace et end blocks, D, E, being next to parallelbeanie, F.

@ne of the distin.Ouishinfr features of in f contruction consists in theprovision et a cut-away portion on one end tace of each block, such asblocks, lil), C, l), lil. rllhis cutaway 'iortion is shown in Figs. 5and (i, incre particularly a bevel, li, which is provided on the top,l), and the side walls, C', 0'; said bevel running contiiniously tronithe lower edge ot one side wall, c, up to and across one edge of the topwall, d, and thence downwardly to the other lower edge of the wall, e.rllhe bevel does not occupy or take up the thickness of the wall at theend portion of the block, but within the bevel is a bearingedge, thelatter beine; iliish with the end tace or the bottoni, o, and the webs,d, e, provided the latter are eniboiilied in the construction oi theblock. Freni this description it will be seen that each block provided,preferably at one end, with a bevel around a bearing enge; said bevelbeing clearly diii'erentiated 'troni the inclined end tace or the block.its shown, the bevel is on one end tace ol each block, whereas the otherend face of each block is l'lat, so that this flat end resembles theordinary tiles or blocks, but it is obvious that a bevel, G, niay beprovided on each end of the block or tiles.

The arch shown in F l., 2 and 8 docs not embody the bevel, G, on theinclined. ends of hey-block, il, but unless filler blocks, il, are usedbetween the blocks, D E, and the -beains, F, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and9, said blocks, l), E, are provided with bevels, lili, at the endsthereof next to beains, F.

Each block is provided with flanges, 71 on the respective sides thereof,said llanges running lengthwise of the block and beine` in the plane ofthe bottoni, o, lheieof. Fnrtherniore, the parallel side walls, c, c,are,

orv may be, provided with the grooves, 2 but said grooves, 2, may beomitted, if desired.

In laying the blocks of a wide span, a temporary stage or platform ispositioned below the beams, and the blocks, A, B, C, D, E, are placed,in a dry condition, on said stage and in proper alinement between thebeams. It should be noted that blocks, D, E, are rst placed in position,then blocks, B, C, and finally key-block, A, is inserted. The endportions of blocks, B, C, with their bevels, G, are in abuttingengagement with inclined ends of key-block, A. The end portions ofblocks, D, E, having bevels, Gr, are in engagement with non-beveled endsof blocks, B, C, respectively. In some forms of arches, the ends of theblocks are cut square, or at right angles to the length, 'while in otherforms of arches, the ends of the blocks are inclined. I have elected toshow the latter form of blocks (with inclined ends) in the drawings, butthe invention may be used with blocks having squared ends. In the archshown in Figs. l, and 3, end blocks, D, E, have bevels, H2, on the endsnext to beams, F, as well as on the ends which abut blocks, B, C, butbevels, H2, may be omitted when filler blocks, II, shown in Figs. 7, 8and 9, are placed between beams, F, and blocks, D, E. After laying onerow of blocks, other rows are laid in like manner, and the fianges, z,of the blocks in adjoining rows engage with each other, as shown in Fig.4e, whereby the blocks in adjoining rows are spaced, as at e', relativeto each other in the operation of laying the blocks, and the meetingfianges, 71., close the spaces, z', between the adjacent tiles, at thebottom thereof.

The asembling of every two blocks in ende wise engagement, with thebeveled portion, G, of one block next to a non-beveled end face of theadjacent blocks, provides a space, gt, at the abutting faces (see Figs.l and 2), which space extends, preferably, across the tops and down theside walls of the blocks. Said spaces, g4, are adapted to receive theplastic material, G, such as mortar or cement, and the spaces, z', arefilled, also, with mortar or cement, I", whereby the tiles of each roware bound to each other by the material, G, and the adjoning rows oftiles by the material in the joints, I.

It is to be observed that the tiles may be placed in position easily,quickly and by unskilled labor; that the plastic material may be pouredon or otherwise deposited in the spaces, g4, e', between the tiles; andthat the fianges, 7i, between the sides of the tiles and the engagingfaces at the ends of the tiles preclude the loss of the plastic materialby leakage at the bottom of the tiles.

Practical tests of an arch embodying this invention have shown that itpossesses greater' strength and load carrying kcapacity thanarchesemploying other forms of tiles. This is due, mainly, to the beveled endportions of the tiles receiving the bonding material, G', that operatesto unite the tiles end to end, whereby irregularities in the abuttingend vfaces of the tiles do not allow for lines of weakness, but cn thecontrary, the tiles are so united as to utilize the full compressivestrength thereof.y

Filler blocks, H, are each composed of a comparatively thin slab offireproof material, each block being adapted for use between a beam andone end block or skewback, D or E It is preferred to provide means, suchas the ribs, r, on `one face of the filler block for spacing it relativet0 the web of beam, F, thus producing intermediate spaces, h2, betweenbeam, F, and block,

H, which spaces are filled by plastic ma-l terial, such as cement ormortar, whereby the filling of plastic material operates as a protectivecovering in minimizing corrosion of the metal beai It is preferred,also, to provide each filler block with a bevel, its, on that edge ofthe face which engages with the end of the end block or skewback and thespace formed by saidv bevel, Areceives a filling of plastic material,the latter uniting the filler block and skewback 7 crease the strengthof the arch.

In case of wide arches, or archesihaving an increased span, it ispreferred to employ blocks or tiles, B, having the side walls inclinedat top and bottom atv 02,03, see Figs. l0 and ll. Said blocks have thesame general structural features as the blocks heretofore described, butit is preferred to make the upper parts, c2, of the side walls ofincreased thickness as compared with the lower parts, c3, wherebythestrength of the compressive portion of the tile is increased. An archcomposed of rows of blocks, B, is provided with double tapered spaces,i, between the side walls of the blocks, see Fig. l0, and this space,z", as well as the other spaces between the blocks, are filled with theplastic material; such material in the spaces, el, forming a double key.Furthermore, the arch may be reinforced by metallic tension members,such as, J. The tension member may be composed' of any suitablematerial, and said member may be dropped or inserted into the space, z',or z, so as to lie close to the bottom of the tiles, said tension memberbeing embedded in the bonding material between the tiles.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a fireproof arch, tiles assembled in wedging engagement into rows,the adjoining tiles of each row abutting at their bottom edges, therebyproducing any arch the bottom of which is continuous, said adjoinso asto insuch as,

ing tiles having certain parts of their ends abutting and each tilebeing .provided above the bottoni edge and on the side walls and the topwall with a cut away portion positioned exteriorly of said abuttingparts, whereby a mortar or cement receiving space is formed between eachpair of abutting tiles.

2. ln a fireprooitl arch, tiles assembled in wedging engagement intorows, the adjoining tiles of each row abutting at their bot toni edges,whereby the resulting arch is provided with a bottoni wall which isunbroken or continuous from side to side of the arch, each tile liaviiigat one end all the surfaces in substantially the same plane, the otherend of each tile being provided with a cut away portion which isexteriorly to the abutting end surface, tending continuously along thetop wall produce a free or unobstructed mortar or ting end faces andabove toni edges thereof.

3. ln a i'ireproof arch tiles assembled ini u v i l r wedging engagementinto rows, the adjoinbottoni of the arch,

end an abutting surface all the parts of?,y the saine plane and theother end of said'tile having a sur-1 which are `in substantially facesome of which is cut away and other parts of which surface yarepositioned fori engagement with the abutting surface of the' next tile,said cut away surface of the tile continuously along the top wall' andthe side walls of each tile but not along@y eX tending the bottom edgethereof, whereby a mortar receiving space is providedbetween each pairof tiles exteriorly 'to the abutting surfaces thereof and above theabutting bottoni edges of said tiles.

et. .ln `a tireproof arch, tiles wedging engagement into rows, the adjoining tiles of each row abutting at their bottoni edges lengthwise 'ofthe row, thereby producing a continuous tile surface the bottoni of thearch, each tile side and top walls a beveled surface positii'inedexteriorly to an abutting surface on'A the end of said tile, whereby twoadjoining tiles are positioned iii ing of the tiles, each row of tilesbeing spaced relative to an adjoining row spaces between adjoining rowsof tiles so as to result in transverse concrete ribs and said cut awayportions eX-. and the side walls but not at the bottom edge,` wherebythe adjoining tiles are assembled to` ing tiles of each row abutting attheir bot-5` toni edges lengthwise of the row, thereby;

each tile having at one assembled in j having on the j abuttingengagement at their ends and a mortar or cement receiv?` spaceislprovided between a part only ofE the ends of said tiles, which spaceextendsA continuously along the top and side wallsy but is interruptedat the bottom end edgesl or rows of tiles,` and bones of mortar orcement filling the iaiavae said bonds of mortar or cement filling thespaces exteriorly to the abiiitting end faces of each pair of adjacenttiles.

5. ln a. ireproof arch, a series of ytiles assembled into rows, theadjoining rows being spaced apart to produce a substantially widecement-receiving space between said rows, the adjoining tiles of eachrow being positioned for their ends to abut, the sides and top of eachtile, at one end thereof, being beveled eirteriorly of said abutting endface, whereby a ceiiient-i'eceiving space is provided next to theabutting faces of two adjoining tiles, said spaces extendingcontinuously across the top and along two sides of each tile and saidspaces being in communication with the substantially wide spaces betweenadjoining rows of tiles, the bottom edges of adjoining tiles in eachrowv being unbroken at their ends and contact-nig' with each other,thereby producing a bot tom wall or under surface which is continuousfrom side to side of the arch.

6. ln a lireproof arch, a supporting beam, a row of tiles, and a fillerblock positioned intermediate the beam and an end tile of said row, saidfiller block being provided on its side next to the end tile with a faceabutting said end tile and with a cut away pori tion exteiioily of theabutting' surfaces, said. filler block being provided on the surfaceopposing the beam with projections which contact with said beam. andoperate to produce spaces between the filler bloclr and the i, beam,said spaces being filled with bonding material.

7. ln a ireproof arch, a supporting beam, a row of tiles, and a fillerblock positioned intermediate the beam and an end tile of said row, saidfiller bloclr being provided on. l its side next to the beam with aseries of ribs which project beyond the normal face of the block, saidribs being in contact with the beam and operating to space the face ofthe block with relation to the beam, said spaces being filled withbonding material.

8. rl. tile having at one end an abutting surface in. the same plane asthe bottoni edge of said end and a cut away portion ei;- teriorly of theabutting surface and ei;- teiiding along the sides and top of said. end,the bot-tom edge of said tile being unbroken, and the other end of thetile having its top, i bottoni and sides in the saine plane.

9. A hollow tile having webs ii'iternally thereof and provided at oneend with an abut-ting surface in the ine plane as the bottom edge ofsaid end and a cut away portion ei-:teriorly of the abutting surface andextending along the sides and top of said end, and a second tile havingan end face in the same plane with the bottom, sides and top, said endface of the second. block abutting engagement with the abut bein in tingsurface of the first tile, whereby 'a mortar receiving space is providedaround the sides and across the top of the abutting faces of adjoiningtiles, the bottom edges of said tiles being unbroken and in Contact,thereby producing a continuous bottom wall or under surface on thetiles.

l0. A tile having an unbroken bottom edge at one end, and an abuttingend face in substantially the saine plane as said bottom end edge of thetile7 the sides and top of said tile having above the unbroken end edgecertain inclined cut away portions positioned exteriorly of saidabutting end face.

l1. A tile having at one of its ends an abutting face on its base, sidesand top, a bevel exterior to said abutting' face and eX- tending alongthe sides and top of said end, the bevels on the side terminating abovethe base, and Llanges projecting from the respective sides of the tilesand lying in the plane of the base thereof.

l2. In a iireproof arch, rows of tiles separated from each other insidewise relation by spaces extending lengthwise of the arch, the tilesof each row abutting at their end faces and each tile being providedwith a bevel exterior of the abutting end face, thereby producingbetween the abutting ends of adjoining tiles a space which communicateswith the lengthwise extending spaces between the rows, and mortar bondsfilling the spaces between the rows and also filling the spaces adjacentto the abut-ting faces between the sides and top of the pairs ofadjoining tiles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILP H. BEVIER.

lVitnesses: f

HENRY STRUBE, CHARLES REIER.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each., by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

